Surabhi Kund, Govardhan: The Sacred Kund of the Celestial Cow

Surabhi Kund is a sacred and holy water tank in the Kadamba Van forest of Govardhan, set along the inner path of the sacred parikrama. It is named after Surabhi, the celestial wish-fulfilling cow (also called Kamdhenu), who, after Krishna lifted the Govardhan hill, came to anoint him with her own milk and was so moved by the love of Radha and Krishna that she chose to stay forever in this forest of Braj. Here, from one born in Braj, is the complete guide to Surabhi Kund: its beautiful story, its significance and how to visit it on the Govardhan parikrama. Plan your visit with our Mathura Vrindavan tour packages.

Key takeaways

• Surabhi Kund is a sacred tank in the Kadamba Van of Govardhan, on the inner parikrama path.

• It is named after Surabhi (Kamdhenu), the celestial wish-fulfilling cow.

• By legend, Surabhi anointed Krishna with her milk after he lifted Govardhan.

• Moved by Radha and Krishna's leelas, Surabhi chose to reside in this forest forever.

• The kund was established by Vajranabh, Krishna's great-grandson, in her memory.

• A dip here is believed to absolve offences (aparadhas) and bestow pure love for Braj.

I am Gurudutt, born in Gokul in the Mathura district, guiding pilgrims through Braj since 2018, more than 50,000 of them and I take devotees to the inner-path kunds of Govardhan, of which Surabhi Kund, in the quiet Kadamba Van, is one of the most sacred and least-visited. Many hurry past it on the outer road; here is its beautiful story and how to find it.

Surabhi Kund at a glance

Here are the key facts about Surabhi Kund, before the detail below.

Surabhi Kund at a glance. The detail follows below.

Who is Surabhi? The celestial cow Kamdhenu

Surabhi, also called Kamdhenu, is the celestial, wish-fulfilling cow of the Hindu tradition, the mother of all cows, who grants every desire. In a land where the cow is sacred above all animals and where Krishna himself is the cowherd, Gopal, the Protector of Cows, Surabhi holds a special place. Her presence at Govardhan, in the story below and her choice to remain in Braj, are a sign of how dear the cows and this land are to the Lord and the kund named after her is sacred to all who love Krishna and his cows.

The story of Surabhi Kund

Surabhi Kund is tied to the great story of the lifting of Govardhan. Here is how it unfolded.

The story of Surabhi Kund, from the lifting of Govardhan to Surabhi's choice to stay in Braj.

So the kund marks the very place where the celestial cow bathed the Lord in her milk and then chose Braj as her eternal home. Long after Krishna's time, the reservoir was established and consecrated by Maharaja Vajranabh, the great-grandson of Krishna, who re-founded so many of the lost holy sites of Braj, in loving memory of Mother Surabhi.

The significance: forgiveness of offences and pure love

Surabhi Kund is revered as a place of profound spiritual power, with two great blessings held to flow from it. First, the forgiveness of offences: sincere prayer here is believed to absolve sins, material attachments and even the grave spiritual offences (aparadhas) that are the hardest of all to overcome, a rare and precious grace. Second, the gift of pure love: pilgrims perform snan (the holy bath) and achaman (the sipping of sanctified water) here in the belief that it bestows prema, pure love and devotion, for Krishna and for the holy land of Vrindavan and Braj. For the devotee, there is no greater gift than this love and few places are held to grant it as Surabhi Kund does.

Where is Surabhi Kund and how to visit

Surabhi Kund lies in the Kadamba Van (the forest of kadamba trees) on the inner, dirt-path route of the Govardhan parikrama, near Raghav Pandit's cave and close to Indra Kund, about 1.5 km along the inner pilgrimage path from Apsara Kund at the Poonchhari tail of the hill. This inner path is the older, quieter, more devotional route of the parikrama, walked by serious pilgrims, so Surabhi Kund is one of the more remote and peaceful of Govardhan's kunds. Govardhan is about 22 km from Mathura. It is best reached on foot as part of the inner parikrama, with the other kunds and shrines of that path. See our Vrindavan and Govardhan guide and we can arrange your pooja and seva.

Tips for visiting Surabhi Kund

• Find it in the Kadamba Van on the inner (dirt-path) route of the Govardhan parikrama.

• It is about 1.5 km along the inner path from Apsara Kund; see the two together.

• Visit the nearby Raghav Pandit's cave and Indra Kund on the same stretch.

• The inner path is quieter and rougher than the outer road; wear good shoes and allow time.

• Perform snan or achaman with devotion; it is held to grant pure love for Braj.

• Come October to March for pleasant weather for the parikrama.

The honest bit

Honest words from one born in Braj. Surabhi Kund is a quiet, remote and deeply sacred spot, on the inner forest path of Govardhan, not a grand temple or an easy roadside stop; its treasure is its beautiful story, its holy waters and its stillness and reaching it, on the rougher inner path, is part of its devotion. Come for the darshan and the grace it is held to give, the forgiveness of offences, the gift of pure love, not for spectacle. The inner path is a dirt track through the forest, so wear good shoes, carry water and give it time. The legends here, of Surabhi's milk, of her choice to stay, of Vajranabh's founding, come from the devotional and Puranic tradition of Braj and such ancient stories carry the variations of long telling; the sanctity is undoubted. Sought out with its story known, on the inner Govardhan parikrama, Surabhi Kund is one of the hidden treasures of the holy hill.

Why Experience My India is the right choice

I was born in Gokul in the Mathura district and I guide pilgrims on the Govardhan parikrama, including the quiet inner path to Surabhi Kund and the Kadamba Van that most visitors never find. Guiding since 2018, more than 50,000 pilgrims, 4.5 stars on Google, WhatsApp first, 8 AM to 9 PM daily. We bring you to Surabhi Kund and the inner-path kunds, tell you the story of the celestial cow on the bank, guide your parikrama of Govardhan and arrange your seva, with no touts. One clear fare and never a charge for free darshan.

Tip from Gurudutt: if you truly wish to feel Govardhan, do not keep only to the outer road; take the quiet inner path through the forest and seek out Surabhi Kund in the Kadamba Van. Here the celestial cow bathed the Lord in her milk and loved Radha and Krishna so dearly that she would not leave this land. Sit on its bank, perform achaman and pray, for of all the kunds, this one is held to grant the two things the devotee most needs: the washing-away of even the gravest offences and the gift of pure love for Braj. In the quiet of the Kadamba Van, far from the crowds, that prayer feels very close to being heard.

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Plan your Govardhan parikrama and visit

Tell me your dates and I will plan your Govardhan parikrama and visit to Surabhi Kund and the holy sites of the hill, with a car, a guide born on this soil and your seva arranged, for one clear price. Our Mathura Vrindavan tour packages from Delhi and our Mathura tour packages cover Govardhan and the heart of Braj. WhatsApp +91 7302265809, any day 8 AM to 9 PM. Packages from ₹1,999 per person, 4.5 stars on Google. Born in Gokul, Mathura.